Cotton separator



April 16, 1929. B. R. BENJAMIN l coTToN SEPARATQR Filed June 9, 1927. 4 SheetSI-Sheet l April 16, 1929. a. R. BENJAMIN -1,709,553'

COTTON SEPARATOR Filed June 9, 1927 4 Sheets-Sheet 2- Z ZZ ZJ ZZ f@ April 16, 1929 l B. R. BENJAMIN 1,709,553 A COTTON SEPARATOR Filed June 9, 1927 4'Shevets-Sheet 5 u gm min;

April 16, 1929- B. vR. BENJAMIN 1,709,553

COTTON SEPARATOR Filed June 9, 1927 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 fwejzor I QUI Patented Apr.` 16,1929. y

UNITEDf'sTATEs PATENT oFFrCE.

BERT 1a. BENJAMIN, or OAK PARK, ILLINOIS, AssIGNoR To INTERNATIONAL HAItv VESTERCOMPANY, A CORPORATION F JNTE-WJ'IEQR'SllY.`

coTToN isEPAnAToR.

Appncatin 'med :une 9, 1927. serial No. 197,551. e

This invention Y relates to cotton treating machines and more 'particularly to machines l for removing lint from bolls which havebeen harvested by a stripper.

An object of the invention is to providea novel'niechanisni which will advantageously act upon stripped cotton to separate `the lintr from the leaves and stalk parts of cotton boils or bellies. i l

It is also an object ofthe invention to provide a cotton treating machine having a spindle drum carrying rotating spindles for Winding-up cotton lintv and separating it from the other parts of the boils and bellies.`

A further object of the invention is 4to pr'ovice a cotton separator having-a' feeder, the parts of' which have vdifferentialvelocities so that they will act to crush cotton bolls as well as` feed them toward the picker drum;

' A further object 'of the invention Vis to provide afcotton separator with spindles and a feeder so inclined-to radial lines that crushed cotton bolls vwill be impaled npon'the spindle by'reason of being thrown thereagainst by the 5 elements of the feeder.

' Other objects of the invention-Will'appear as the following description proceeds.y

An illustrative embodiment constructed in accordance'with the teachings of this invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which: f f i' Figurel' a view somewhatin the nature of a vertical section, showing the relationship Vof thefs'pindles andthe feefl'er of the illustrative machine ;y v Figure 2 is a l'Vertical section taken approxinjiately on the section line 2442 of Figure 1 l Figure Sis a partial elevatiomshowing one side of the machine withtheoperating mechanisms for its various elements;

Figuret is a detail elevation showing one end of t-he spindle drum, the pinions and belt for driving the spindles so that they will iv ind up the cotton, and the reversing mechanisnifor changing the direction of vrotation of thespindles so that' the cotton vcan be readf y ily removed therefrom;

Figure-is in general an end el'evationof the spindle drum with -a portion off-the end of the drum broken away toshow the partlcrular pair of adjacent 'spindles are mounted and driven.

general, the illustrative machine may be said to comprise'tWo mainparts.A The first of these is the separator herein shown asthe l spindle drum 10, and the second is thel fee-der for delivering cotton to the separator. The" 'sojtha't it must rotate therewith. The shaft .17v

preferably arranged in horizontal position and is mounted at its end in journals 18 and 19, which are secured respectively to .guard casings 20 and 21. As illustrated in Figure '2 of th'edrawings, these guard casings'are secured kto the side Walls 22 and 23 of rthe main body of the machine. The contour 'of theoppo'site side -walls is indicated in F igure 1v 80' i F ixed to the spindle drum Wit-hin the guard casing 21 is a large sprocketfwheel 25 which f is rotated bymeans of a sprocket chain 26 ytrainedthereover and also over a small drivingsprocket27 non-ro'tatively mounted upon the driving shaft 28,.` As illustrated in Fig'- ure 2 of the drawings, the shaft 28 is jour- Y naled in the side walls22 and 23 near the base 'Y ofv the'imachine and isl provided with ajbeltl pulley l29 through whiclrpo'vveririay be initially applied to themachine and all'of its` driven parts.l

wardly beyondthe periphery of the'y drinn" along lines which beara uniforniinclined relationI to lines-Which ar'eradial witlrrespect to the endsof the drum'.` Thenperipphery of the Y .drumbetw'een its heads 15 and 16 is suchftliat 1t ,provides a series ofconnected ledges, there.

being. two rows `of `picker*A rstems extending from the-drum along each lfed'ge. Such'ledges r y are shown in detail in VFigure. 5 atBO,l ggnd y Y 32. "Someof tlie'ledgeas'ucli as the'interniedi- 'ate-ledgel, are'strengthened by "radialfins,

'such' as that illustrated at. Each-ledge houses spindle driving shaft preferably 4journaled at either end in a druin head. At i intervals along each driving shaft 34;, the adjacent ledge is hollowed out to provide a gear casing for the driving connections between a pair of spindles and the shalt. Such an arraiigeinent of eleinents is illustrated iiiligure 6 of the drawings wherein a pair et spindles 35 and 3G are shown.

Referring to Figure G, the spindles 35 and 3G extend through the ledge 3l and are jour naled at their rearward ends in bushings 37 and 38, which are reinovably niouiited in the spindle druin. Forwardly oi' these husliings a pinion 39 surrounds each spindle and is noiirotatively connected thereto by a pin l0 e2- tending throughthe spindle. This pin prelerably engages in an axialslot all in the pinion.y Each pinion has two of such slots forined diaiiietrically opposite each other. il single driving pinion 452 upon the Vshaft meshes with each ot' a pair or" pinions to rotate thespindles and it 'if he spindles are held in the positions indi@` ted in Figui-e (3, by means of collars 43 which preferably have "a pressed fitupon the spindles., VThese collars areV engaged hy, screw-thread al caps lit which are removably mounted within screw threaded bores in the spindle druni, as `clearly indicatedin the drawings. Between the wardends of soine ot the spindles, the ca. in which a sei-'ies ol three pinioiis is mounted V is connected with the niain reservoir within the spindle druinby a lubricant passage Ll-i.

The shafts 5l, at one end of the spindle druin, entend beyond the spindle druin head l5 and have drivinir sprocket wheels or pinions LG fixed thereon. Referring to Figure 4 ol'T the drawings, a sprocket chain l? contaets' with a desired nuinher of the, sprocket wheels 46 for giving the spindles Atorward or wind ingsupV rotation so 'that they niey properly act upon the cotton thrown against the'drun'l in the throat 48. 'lt vwill be seen that tour oi the sprocket wheels /l-G are in Contact withthe chain 47 inV Figure 4 ot' the di'av The spindles carried the shafts oi heee 'loiir sprocket wheels are iliassin'g through the throat i8 ot the inachiiie "and the cotton lint direction of the arrow 70, and consequently ings at the positions indicate-d at and'il chain el? and actedlupon hy lined re chain, l? tobe maintained-in contact witl i.

itil

each sprocket wheel 4G is moved around iteoines into the V,position indicated r. wherein it is disengaged :troni the teeth 5l, which cause the direction ol the rotation of the spindles'to hereversed, as will be clearly seen. The pinions 4l@ arehousedY within theguardlcasing20,."which has opei.

in Figure 3 of thedrawingsffoi' the pui-Mee of permitting the di'i'viiigbelt, oi' sprorl 'et 'iwlieels-a rlhe heilt desired nnipbei' ol sprorV :incassi-i i7 passes overa driving sprocket [ill lined uponV the shalt 28 and over an idler sprocket 55.

rlhe reversing teeth' 5l, as particularly shown in `Figure 2 of the-drawings, are orined as inwardly,extending pinsinounteil in a support 5G, the nature of which is indicatedin Figure rhis support is pret erahly pivoted upon a trunnioii 5i" carried by 'the guard casing7270.Y The other end or' the support is held in its uppeiinost position by a spring o8 lined at 59 to the 4casing 20. lnterposed between-thelower eiid of the spring and theV support is'an ai'in SGliXed to the Y support. llreelage ofthe reversing teeth 5l or the teeth oi" the sprockets lo is prevented by the above described resilient mounting of,

Vact as strippers to i'einove the cotton which has becoine wound upon the spindles. rlhis operation is enhanced by secureinent olf fabric strips a: iinst the outer surface ofthe arins. Qfatwaroiv of the strips 65 llshapexl bars GG C-.re tixeihso that they combine with `the hars 6l and the strips 65 to forni rigid structures. The upper portions ol' the hars Gl operate to orin a wall along one side ol the throat 4S, this wall of the throat supporting spring devices 67 herein shown as dat leaf springs, sci-'arranged as to promote the wiiiding-up of the cotton lintupon the spindles and 36. ffrs'illusti'ated in Figure l of the draufings, the opposite wall 68 oit the throat i8 is provided with wardly*extending springdevices 69, A.which cooperate with the springs 'G7 promoting the winding-up ofall the VcottonV lint upon the spindles. n l i will he seen trein an"iiispection otlig ure l oi? the drawings, as the-,spindle druin rotates in the direction of the arrow T0, the spindles are drawn across the strips 65'. ln elim'ect, the spindles, ecause ot thelrincliiii.- tion to radial lines, are pulledthrough an opening between adjacent strips It will he seen that as a spindle passes the position ffl, it begins to he pulled through the grating Alernied by the strips 65. and that, when the saine spindle reaches th' positionv indicated at (2, it has heen almost completely pulled through the openingshetween those strips;

The wound-up lintot the cotton is thus reinoved troni the spindles andadlowedto drop to the 'floor of the machine at the ri; 'lit oi' the partition "3. V'lhis stripping or o the o piioniotedby the angular y ll-esielative to radial lines and vertical rows oilE dowii-` lll() ics .e

lll)

the reversal of the direction "of-- rotation of the spindleswhile they are `passing from the position 71 to the position 72, the spiral arrangement of the spindle teeth allowing the wound-up cotton to -be easily removed. It is during this portion ofthe cycle of operation of the spindles lthat their driving sprockets 46 contact with the reversing teeth 81, the latter of which is fixed. upon a driving Vshaft 82 journaled in the sidewalls of the machine and provided at one end with a driving sprocket 83.

Above the inner end of the conveyer 11 and suitably spaced therefrom is the feeder or breaker 12, herein shown asa cylinder carrying radial projectionsY or blades {18a-1. ThisA breaker .fixed upon a driving shaft 85 jour-,

naled in the side walls 'of the machine and provided at one end with af driving pinion 86. Refcrringto Figure 3 of the drawings, it will seenthat the conveyer 11 isdriven .by the sprocket chain 87, trained around a driving sprocket 88 mounted upon the power.

shaft 28 and idler sprocket 101. A lsecond idler sprocket 89 serves to properly direct the upper run ofthe belt 87.` The breaker 12 is l*driven by means described below and it travels at a speed much greater than thespeed of the conveyer. On account of rthis relationship of the speeds of these two parts of themachine, the cotton bollscarried along on theV conveyer 11 are crushed and tornapart, due

to the differential peripheral velocities. The blades of the breaker 12 tend-te crush the bells and partially separate leaves and stalk parts frointhe lint. It also throws the cotton toward the lower breakers 13and 14,

" which are mounted beneath the deflecting Yce shaft 91 is provided with la. sprocket wheel plate 90. j

The breakers 13 and 14- are mounted yupon driving shafts 91 aiid92, the latter of which is circuinferentially adjustablev aboutthe sha-ft 91 asa center. This adj ustnientis effected by they plate 93 pivotally mounted upon the shaft 91, as indicated in Figure 3 of J[hed-raw- This platemay be secured tothe side wall in any one of various positions by the placing of the securing bolts 9411i any; de-

sired pair of theopenings 95. The plate 93 is also formed with an Vopening 96 in'which tliejournal beaiing 97. vof the shaft 92 mayadjus'te'dfor varying the distancebetweeiithe `lirakers 13 and 14.

`the side of the machinefoppositetlie shown inFigure S-ofzthe drawings-the `98 indicated by dottedlines in Figure 1. `This sprocket wheel is drivenby an endless elia-in 99, which is trained over a inuch smaller sprocket wheel 100 fixed upon the shaft92. i

Beyond the sprocket wheel 98, the chain 99 passes over the small 'sprocket wheel 86 upon 'i the shaft 8.5 and thence downwardly around idler sprockets 102 and 103. Frein that point -this chain passes around'a ldriving `sprocket 104A fixed upon the driving shaft 28. Continuing, the. chain 99 extends to and around Va belt tightener or idler sprocket 105, vand then it is trained over a doiferfsprocketA 106 Y fixed upon the shaftj107 oftherotary doiferA From the sprocketV to be described below.

son. v

wheel 106 the chain 99 extends to thesprocket wheel 100, the pointof beginning.

Effective cleaning ofthe rotating spindles 35 and t-he removal of any cotton which ina-y remain upon the spindles after they pass the stationary doit-ers 65 is secured by the action of a rotary doifer 108.. This doffer has a series of narrow radial blades 109, preferably faced Aby bodies 110l of pliable material which move between adjacent rows ofthe rotating spindles.- This rotating doii'er is fixed upon thel shaft `107l and driven inthe manner vabove pdescribed. l I

- The speed of movement ofthe vchain 109. is

such as to 'cause'the shaft 85 to move. at a `much higher speed than the shaft 82,- for reasons which have been above referred to.

.Similar differential velocities obtain to the rotation 'ofthe breakers 18 and 14h. The,

sprocket wheel. 100'upon'the 4shaft of the breaker y141 is much ,smaller than the sprocket y wheel 98 on the shaft of the breaker 13, and

consequently the-.peripheral velocity of the' breaker 141 is much lgreater than that of the breaker 13'. j This action promotes the opening of the cotton bells and the breakingjof lthe-'bellsand whatever parts-of cotton stalks may be fedinto the machine; Furthermore, the arrangement of the breakers 13 and 14 andth'eir relative speeds is such that cot- -ton bollsjare throwntoward the spindle 'drum inthe direction Vof. the arrow 115. This1ae-- tionA proinotesthe impalin'g ofthe cottonbolls `by the rotating spindlesv and thereby enables vthe machine to remove a high percentage of' the cotton fiber from the stripped. cotton.

vA closure plate 111 is mounted above and in rproximity to the periphery of the breaker 1i.V rThis plate is'provided with slots 112 in l order that the plate may be held in any posi- '-tioni towhich it is adjusted, the bolts 113 being tightened'to hold the plate in suoli position. -f v 1 WVhen'ever. the shaft of the breaker Mis 'moved fart-lier away frein the .shaft of the. breaker 13, it isv necessary `to elevate the plate' Y y '.111inforderto prevent its interferencewith *l "the operationfofthe breaker 141-.: e,

An important feature `of the; illustrative inachinefis its improved operation resulting iesv from the inclination of the spindles to radiallines.- This arrangement increases the capacity and effectiveness of the machine,pro meting thorough separation of the cotton lint and the other parts of the bolls and facilitate ing effective doling of the lint from the spindles.

vThilo the invention has been described with reference to a particular structure, itis to be understood that it is not necessarily limited thereto but that it is of av scope coininensurate with the breadth of the appended claims. I

- W'hat .is claimed neu7 is:

l. A cotton treating machine comprising,

Vin combination, ay rotary lint separator having spindles rotatable i'elativethereto and ex tending at an angle to radial lines, and a feeder fordelivering material to the separator. Y

,2. A cottonV treating machine comprising, in combination, a rotary lint separator drum havingindependently rotatable spindles projecting therefrom, and a boli crrislier acting tothrow cotton toward the separator.

3. A cotton treating machine comprising,

Y in combination, a lintY separator including a are impaled lon the spindles.

carrier supported for orbital movement, axially rotating spindles ontlie carrier set at an angle to radial lines for effectively engaging cotton bells, and a feeder for delivering cotton :to said spindles. A

4l. A cotton treating machine comprising, in combination, a lint separator including a rotating drum carrying axially rotatable spindles inclined substantially to radial lines, and a boll feeder delivering cotton bolls to the separator.

53. A' cotton treating -inachine comprising,

in combination, a lint separator including` J rotatable drum carrying axially rotatable siindles protruding therefrom atangles to radial lines, and cotton delirer'ymeans acting to impel cotton bollstoward the separa tor in the direction of the aXes'of thespindies.` j

VA cotton treating machine comprising, in combination, a stationary casing, a rotate able cylinder journaled .upon a Vhorizontal axis in the Casing,rotatable spindles carried by the casing so as to projectoutwardlytherefrom at small angles toradial lines, shafts journaled in the cylinder and rotatable with respec '1 thereto for rotating the spindles, means'for vrotating the cylinder, means for rotating a predetermined number of said shafts, Walls secured tothe casing so. as to form a passageway for directing cotton to the spindles, and rotatable nieanslocated in said passagr-:ivayY for throwing vcotton bolls toward the cylinder substantially in thedi icction of thelengtlis of the spindles passing the middle of the passageway so that tliebolls 7. A machine for acting upon stripped cotton `to separate the cotton liber` therefrom comprising axially rotating spindles Vand a plurality of dofng devices successively engaging the spindles for removing cotton liber from the spindles.

8. LA cotton separator for removing cotton liber from stripped cotton comprising a rotary carrier, axially rotating spindles extending therefrom atv angles to radial lines, a stationary doler acting to remove cotton from the spindles, and a movable doii'er actin(T upon the spindles after they have passed the stationary doiier. Y Y Y 9. A machine for separating. cotton liber from ,stripped cotton 'comprising a lrotaiy carrier, axiallyrrotating spindles extending therefrom at angles to radial lines, and a plurality of successively acting dofl'ers for re-Y moving the cotton fiber from the spindles.

l0. A cotton extracting machine comprising axiallyy rotating spindles for collecting the lint or liber, ineans for feeding stripped cotton to saidspindles, and a dofler for removing the lintfrom the spindles, the doi'ler having a pliable body substantially engagingr two adjacent rows of spindles.

Y il. A cottonseparator comprising axially rotatingv spindles for .collecting kthe cotton liliier, means for projecting stripped cotton toward "lieseparator, and a (loller lor removing the cotton liber from the spindles, the doii'er comprising a composite body having a part made ofpliable material and substantially engaging two adjaceiitrows of spindles.V

Vl2. ln` a cotton treating` machine, axially rotatingI spindles for collecting the cotton lint, a .feeder for delivering stripped cotton .to the spindlcs,.a rotary carrier, means for mounting V'the spindlr-isA -on the carrier in circular rows with the individual 'spindles extending at-angles to radial. lines, and a doifer for removing cotton from the spindles, said dofl'cr comprising a body of pliable material contacting With the spindles and .more

rigid backing member for the pliablegbody.

13. In cotton separator, axially rotating spindles for winding' up and collecting the cotton fiber, spring` .devices for forcing cotton into` Contact h the spindles, a feeder for delivering material to the spindles, means for n'iounting the spindlesy in cylindrical ar-- rangement With their axes at angles to radial lines, and a dofl'er for removing cotton from the spindles.

lll. A cotton separator comprising, in coinbination, a spindle drinn, axially rotatable spindles carried by thedruni at an angle to lines extending radiallyof the drum, lcotton feeding .means Vfor throwingcottoii in the direction of the aries of the spindles so thatrthe cotton ivillbe impaled on the spindles,fdofling means for removing cotton'l from thespindles,

and spring devices for causing all of the cotton fed to the spindles to be acted upon by them. y

15. A machine for treating stripped cotton to separate the lint from the hulls compris ing, in combination, a rotatable body, toothed spindles Carried by thev body in projecting positions, means carried by the body for rotating the spindles upon 'their own axes to wind up cotton lint thereon, means Jr'or rotating the body, means for feeding cotton'to the body so that the spindles will come in Contact therewith,and means for stripping 'wound up cotton lint from lthe spindles. 15

16. A means for treating stripped cotton to separate the cotton lint from the hulls and stalks comprising, in combination, a'movable body, toothed spindles'projeeting from the i body and carried thereby, means carried by.

means for moving the body to bring the spindles successively past a position at Which they come in contact with stripped cotton, means for feeding stripped Cotton toward the body in a direction'substantially coincident with the direction of the spindles at their cotton receiving positions, .relatively stationary means for contacting With the hulls to hold them against movement with' the Wound up lint, and means'for stripping the Wound'up cotton lint from the spindles.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

BERT R. BENJAMIN. 

